Folding machine for folding letters, printed matter, or the like



- 7 Much v8. 93 E. WEIDNER 1,548,443"

FOLDING IACHINE FOR FOLDING LETTERS, PRINTED ITTBR, OR THB LIKE Filed Jan. 8-, 1930 '2 Shasta-Shout 1 I Mar h 8, 1932. QWEID ER 1,848, 48

FOLDING MACHINE FOR FOLDING LETTERS, PRINTED MATTER, OR THE LIKE Filed Jan. 8. 1930 2 $heets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 8, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EDMUND WEIDNER, OF BERLIN GERMANY roLnnwe momma: ron FOLDING LETTERS, rnm'rnn MATTER, OR THE LIKE Application filed January 8, 1930, Serial No.

When folding letters, printed matter and the like by means of roller devices, it has been shown by experience so far, that a large amount of waste was the inevitable result,

because such device did not work properly,

and this drawback became particularly 11oticeable in conjunction with the folding of documents, written letters and the like, which were rendered thereby useless or unsuitable for dispatch.

It is, for this reason, of the very greatest importance, that the folding of such papers be carried out properly, i. e. that one fold, is as faultless and exact as theother. This will be attained with the aid of the'machine constructed in accordance to my present invention.

An example of execution of the object of this invention has been shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 represents a perspective view of such folding machine, whilst Figs. 26 illustrate diagrammatically and partly in section separate phases of the working of the machine. Fig. 7 represents diagrammatically, and for 'the purpose of comparison, the position of the parts in conjunction with an unsuitable arrangement.

A frame 1 supports a feeding plate 2 which is made to carry one fixed and one adjustable guide bar 3 and 4:. At the rear end of this feed plate 2 a roller 5 has been rotatably disposed, without being capable of a longitudinal displacement, against which a roller 6 is pressing elastically from above, its journal bearings 7 permitting of displacement'along the guide 8 and being subjected to constant pressure in a downward direction by means of springs 9. The roller 5 is'provided with a rubber covering 5a (Fig. 2), so that its action will be soft and elastic. This rubber covering possesses the property of securely holding the sheet, once caught, and of passing it through the machine most exactly. Beside the roller 5 positioned in fixed bearings, a third roller 10 has been rovided which is supported by journal bearings 11, said bearings being pressed in the direction towards the bearings of roller 5 by means of springs 12. The same thing applies to a fourth roller 13 being place'dvertically below the roller 5.

419,313, and in Germany November 28, 1928.

The drive of the four rollers 5, 6, 10, 13 is effected bymeans of a motor 14 imparting, through the medium of a cord-drive 15 motion to a groove-pulley 16 being keyed onto the spindle of the roller 5 thus causing the latter to partake in the rotary motion. The transmission of the rotary motion to the rollers 6, l0 and 13 is effected from this roller 5 by means of gears. It is essential, that'the rollers 6 and 10 disposed above and beside the central roller 5 are not arranged in a vertical or horizontal position respectively to the latter, but placed obliquely thereto at a certain angle, as shown more clearly in Figs. 2-6.

A plate 17, positioned obliquely, e. g. under an angle of 415 to the horizontal and pointing upwardly, is fastened to the frame 1 of the machine and is provided with rakes or the like 18 for the purpose of holding down and guidin the sheets to be folded, said rakes suitably ending in the proximity of the roller 6. A stop 19, consisting of a plate 20 and a bar 21 is guided along the plate 17 by means of the eyelet 22 and permits of being clamped by means of a set screw 23. A plate 24 perfectly corresponding to plate 17 is arranged beside the roller 13 in a pointing downward position, and is also provide with rakes 25 ending in the proximity of roller 10, and with so an adjustable stop 26 (Fig. 2), said parts 25, 26 having the same functions as the corresponding parts 18 and 19 respectively of' plate 17.

The piling-up device for the folded sheets is situated at the front side of the machine,

i. e. at the side where the operator stands. Being placed below the plate 2 it consists of a wall 27 disposed vertically which is provided with a slot 28, a rectangular shaped horizontally arranged metal plate 29 (Fig. 2), and a milled clamping screw 30, which projects outwardly through the slot 28 and permits in a known manner, to clamp the metal sheet 29 at any desired height to the wall 27. A sec- 0nd vertical wall 31 arranged behind the' plate 29 serves as a hold=up for the sheets being piled up. This latter wall 31 is lower than the first named wall 27, so that between the upper edge of the wall 31 and the feed iou throug 29 or the stack of folded pa ers resting t P plate 2 of the machine a free space is left,

through which the folded sheets are flung to the wall 27 on leaving the folding device, then gliding down along this wall and piling themselves up upon the angled metal plate 29.

The folding proper is effected in the following manner:

A sheet of paper 32 fed by the operator between the guides 3 and 4 is seized by the rollers 5 and 6 and pushed forward between the rakes 18 and the plate 17 up to the stop 19. (Fig. 2.) In view of the fact, that the rollers 5 and 6 continue their transporting motion, whilst the end of the sheet 32, however, contacts with the stop 19, a bend 33 (Fig. 3) will be formed in the sheet 32, and this bend of the sheet in turn is seized-by the rollers 5 and 10, so that they will fold the sheet for the first time (Fig. 4), Owing to the oblique position to the vertical of the plane which connects the axes of the rollers 6 and 5, the fed-in paper, already prior to being folded by its engagement with the stop 19, is correspondingly preliminarily bent in such a manner, that the direction of fur ther motion of that .part of the paper sheet which has passed the rollers 5 and 6 is positively determined, with the result that the force of contact between the paper and the plate 17 is reduced to aminimum, thus rendering it possible for the paper to glide through between the plate 17 and the rakes 18 perfectly unimpeded. This prevents the paper being crumpled up or creased, which otherwise very easily happens, particularly in conjunction with thin papers.

The rollers 5 and 10, bein placed obliquely to each other compared to the horizontal, are feeding the sheet of paper 32, folded once,

between the-plate 24 and the rakes 25 to the stop 26 whereby a second fold 34 (Fig. 5) will be formed in the sheet 32. The oblique position of the rollers 5 and 10 compared to the horizontal exercises upon the aper the same effect as previously described in conjunction with the rollers 5 and 6: By this oblique position of the rollers 5 and 10 the striking of the pa r 32 against the plate 24 and the conseque t crumpling up of said paper is substantially obviated, and it is rendered possible that the paper glides freely between the plate 24 and the rakes The fold 34 previously formed will now be seized by the rollers 5 and 13 and gets in between the latter, the second sharp fold of the sheet of paper thereby being effected (Fi 6). The sheetis now ready for being stac ed. It is forcibly flung forward by the rollers 5 and 13 and deposited on the late ere. In orderto always give the ung folde aper the same directlon, a gliding track 35 may be provided, as this has been indicatedin For the purpose of ensuring a uniform piling up and to obviate the possibilit of the separate sheets turning over, the co ecting plate 29 in the beginning should beadjusted pretty closely below the trajectory of the arriving sheet. As the pile increases, the operator w1ll be able to lower the plate 29 and the pile after turning the milled screw 30, subsequently clamping it again, thus roviding free space for newly arriving fo ded sheets. As soon as a sufficient number of sheets has been folded, which number may be ascertained by means of a count device not shown, the pile isremoved, the lling-up plate 29 is raised again and the fo ding operation may be started afresh.

A really faultless fold without waste will only be guaranteed, if the centrally placed roller 5 is made to consist of rubber or a similar material or is coated therewith, which.

adapts itself well to the pressure of the rollers 6, 10 and 13 being under spring premure and softly and Iyl et securely grasps the paper passing throu' between the rollers, 51111111- taneously preventing a dis lacement of the sheets in the machine, and 1f the rollers 5, 6 and 10 are laced in an oblique position in the indicate manner. Fig. 7 shows, by way of comparison, the arrangement and manner of acting in conjunction with rollers which have not been placed in an oblique position. In this instance the .roller 6 is placed vertically above the roller 5' and the roller 10' horizontally beside it. In consequence of this arrangement of rollers the sheet of paper 32 to be folded hits the plate 17 during the folding operation under an essentially more acute angle, easily renderingit liable to being damaged. The same thing happens, when the paper strikes the plate 24.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention, I declare that what I claim is 1. Folding machine for folding letters, printed matter and the like, com rising at least three rollers arran ed aroun a central rollerand in contact wi it, an oblique guiding surface behind theplassing slit between said central roller and t 0 up r roller and a second oblique guidin su ace underthe passing slit between sai central roller and that roller which is arran behind it, stops for said sheet in connection with both said iding surfaces, the axis of said up r roller ge ing arranged before the vertical p ane PISS- ing throu h the axis of said central roller, the axis 0 said roller arran behind said central roller lying' above the orizontal plane passin through the axis of said central roller.

2.' olding machine for folding letters,

roundingrollers being displaceably arranged in their bearings, springs for pressing said surrounding rollers against said central roller, means for rotating said surrounding rollers from said central roller, an oblique guiding surface behind the passing slit between said central roller and the upper roller and a second oblique guiding surface under the passing slit between said central roller and that roller which is arranged behind it, stops for said sheet in connection with both said guiding surfaces, the axis of said upper. roller being arranged before the vertical plane passing through the axis of said central roller, the axis of said roller arranged behind said central roller lying above the horizontal plane passing through the axis of said central roller.

3. Folding machine for folding letters, printed matter and the like, comprising at least three rollers arranged around a central roller and in contact with it, said central roller having an elastic surface and being couplied with a driving motor, said three sur rounding rollers being displaceably arranged in their bearings, springs for pressing said surrounding rollers against said central roller, means for rotating said surrounding rollers from said central roller, an oblique guiding surface behind the passing slit between said pass between both said guiding parts, said guiding means ending in the proximity of that roller which is arranged before them, the axis of said upper roller being arranged before the vertical plane passing through the axis of said central roller, the axis of'said roller arranged behind said central roller lying above the horizontal plane passing through the axis of said central roller, an adjustable piling-up device arranged before the passing slit between said central roller and the lower of said surrounding rollers in such a position that said sheets after having been folded and passed between both said rollers will fling to the piling-up device. I

5. Folding machine according to claim 4: with abottom plate for said piling-up device adjustable in its height.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

EDMUND WEIDNER.

central roller and the upper roller and a second oblique guiding surface under the passing slit between said central roller and that roller which is arranged behind it, stops for said sheet in connection with both said guiding surfaces, guiding means above said guiding surfaces for allowing said sheet to pass between both said guiding parts, said guiding means ending in the proximity of that roller which is arranged before them, the axis of said upper roller being arranged before the vertical plane passing through the axis of said central roller,- the axisof said roller arranged behind said central roller lying above the horizontal plane passing through the axis of said central roller.

4. Folding machine for folding letters, printed matter and the like, comprising at least three rollers arranged around a central roller and in contact with it, said central roller having an elastic surface and being coupled with a driving motor, said three surrounding rollers being displaceably arranged in their bearings, springs for pressing said surrounding rollers against said central roller, means for rotating said surrounding rollers from said central roller, an oblique guid-. ing surface behind the passing slit between said central roller and the upper roller and a second oblique guiding surface under the passing slit'between said central roller and that roller which is arranged behind it, stops for said sheet in connection with both said guiding surfaces, guiding means above said guiding surfaces for allowing said sheet to 

